sneak peek, take three

one last peek before my big opening day tomorrow! hope you'll stop by...

[check out my other sneak peeks here and here!]

threads

an afternoon shoot for my shop. these are from the cutting room floor.

three little elephants

i would like one of these little elephants to hold my favourite paper clips. wouldn't you?

image via present & correct

sneak peek, take two

getting pretty stoked for may 1st! another sneak peek to come on thursday...

local focus :: the regional assembly of text

this week's local focus is a sweet indie shop on main street, the regional assembly of text. the shop is chock-full of goodies, from greeting cards, journals + stationery sets to screen-printed shirts, pillows + iron-on fabric letters. you can even join their button- or book-of-the-month club, what fun to get these little surprises in the mail each month! there is even a letter writing night the first thursday of every month, where you can sit at one of the many vintage typewriters and tip-tap away to your hearts content. 

images via the regional assembly of text

my personal favourite items include the fabric-covered wooden boxes, adorable printed chalkboards, and the lovely selection of 'little books'. 

the amazingly talented [and super friendly!] owners have done a fantastic job of branding their image, and the look is spot-on. you'll feel like you stepped back in time to your carefree grade-school days of note-passing, book reports + daydreams...

the regional assembly of text is one of the most original shops i've had the pleasure of visiting. i do hope you'll make it there sometime soon.

mette

there's every likelihood you've seen these beauties before, but i couldn't resist sharing them again here. limited-edition, vintage inspired frocks are designed and sewn locally here in vancouver by kristin rasmussen of mette. i love the simple mod silhouettes, letting the bold colours and fabrics stand out on their own. and the model is just a total doll!

images via mette

from top, the lino and the chelsea. 

shoe shopping

my baby girl will be walking soon. i'm thinking she needs some new shoes to celebrate the occasion. but how to choose just one pair?

images via piperlime

shop sneak peek

coming soon to a shop near you!

tuuli trees

i really really like this chair. we need a chair in our bedroom, and as we 

s l o w l y get closer to actually finding the time to paint [gasp! paint?] 

said room, i am starting to look around for ideas. 

we will likely choose a lovely shade of grey for the walls, and our bedding is grey and white. we'll need a hit of colour [to be determined, but probably somewhere in the realm of marigold-yellow-orange] and some art. i think this lovely chair, covered in classic marimekko tuuli fabric, almost qualifies as art. 

image via day-lab diy

dace

loving the spring 2009 collection from vancouver designer dace moore. simple chic silhouettes in white, light blue, grey, with a few hits of tan and black to round it out. pretty + classic + clean.

images via dace.ca

stationery for earth day

to celebrate the earth today, i am highlighting just a few of my favourite eco-friendly paper goods. there are so many gorgeous eco options these days, and it feels nice to be able to indulge in my love of paper without so much enviro-guilt. 

all images via shops as listed below, top to bottom

geometric everyday greetings from modernemotive

nature themed number print from art and philanthropy 

address file from lovely design

two people letterpress card from sweetbeets

yellow giraffe coptic journal from white sparrow bindery

for more information about eco-friendly paper options, check out this great post by adele of modernemotive, over on paper shop ink. she clears up any questions you may have about fsc, pcf, tcf and all the many enviro-paper terms you're curious about. happy earth day, everyone!

local focus :: stepback

for this week's local focus, i'm heading to one of my favourite parts of kitsilano. west broadway [between macdonald + balaclava] is full of unique shops, fantastic florists, and a fair smattering of both one-off + mainstream clothing stores. if you're there, you simply must visit stepback. stocked with vintage and retro goods, stepback is a total throwback to grandma's house. 

images via stepback

reproduction and original furniture, kitchenware, linens, and childrens' games + books are just a few examples of the goodies found here. i love the framed vintage boardgames and selection of retro stamps + stationery. they often have shelves stocked with original jade-ite, and lots of pretty milk glass vases + cake pedestals. it's also where i go to pick up my botanical cleaning supplies. 

i love stepback, and i sure miss living close-by. time for another visit.

my state of the art husband

this past weekend, derek and i got to spend a night in whistler so that we could go to the opening of his first art show, state of the art. it's a collaborative show with over 30 artists, and is part of the telus world ski & snowboard festival.

you can see more of derek's work on his blog. and check out the graphics he designed for this snowboard for local company endeavor. it comes out next season, and lucky me, i'm well overdue for a new ride. 

[bonus: we went without kids. thanks m+d!]

munro leaf

oh, how i love these delightful books by munro leaf. witty and educational, they will teach your child manners, hygiene, good behaviour and more. definitely a must-have series for your child's home library, leaf's words will keep you laughing while your kids learn the basic rules of society. simply amazing.

images from amazon.com

inspiration + motivation

what an excellent interview! i finally found a few moments to read the newest 'do what you love' post on modish Biz tips, and i'm so glad i did. feeling inspired and excited. check it out.

inspiring image via design for mankind

mod quad

i can't get enough of all the incredible printed textiles available right now. today i'm especially loving the bold graphic quality + saturated colours of the mod quad collection from cicada studio. if i got my hands on some, i would definitely make myself a nifty tote bag like this one. that is, if i find some time to sew something for myself.

image via cicada studio etsy

french :: grey :: fashion

oh, my. i came across a new-to-me etsy shop, tortilla girl, for the first time today. and let me just say, the work here is inspiring, stunning. i love the simple + subtle fabrics, perfect to show off the intricate pleats, tucks, and ruffles which adorn the limited edition frocks. and these bags, so lovely with lace. all items are designed + handmade from scratch by becky in her home studio in france. 

images via tortilla girl

from top, 

montmartre painter's bubble dress in grey poplin :: here

pont neuf painter dress in grey :: here 

tuileries sleeveless linen dress in indigo :: here [sold, but oh-so-lovely]

i imagine myself wearing the montmartre painter's dress, strolling down a cobblestone street in france at sunrise, sipping a cafe au lait, my sketchbook under my arm. sigh. a girl can dream, right?

BirdDog Press

i must admit, while checking out the letterpress directory over at felt & wire, i was first drawn to this company by name alone. but upon checking out their work, i found some beauties over at BirdDog Press. i especially love this gorgeous eco-friendly wedding invite. look at the crisp, grass green ink paired with the simple craft-paper brown wrap. so lovely.

image via birddog press blog

local focus :: room6

i thought i'd like to start featuring some of my local favourites, including shops, companies, services and designers. here in vancouver we are lucky to have a fairly diverse shopping + design scene. of course there are many mainstream stores, but my faves are the small + unique one-off-shops, and we have some great ones. this first one is huge inspiration for the shop i dream of opening one day with my good friend mina.

room6 in deep cove is fantabulous. megan, the owner, has amassed a well-edited and beautiful selection of goods, and her oft-rotating inventory makes room6 the perfect spot to shop for yourself, your kids, your best friend, or your mom. 

images via room6.com

herewith, some of my faves:

this piece by local jewelry designer andrea waines :: 'live as if this is all there is' :: yes.

any of these items by track & field [more local!]

great clothes by bc company smoking lily

this awesome coat by soia & kyo

my fave reusable bags by envirosax

way too many lovely ceramics :: from j. mendocino, paige russell, perch

gorgeous paper goods and office supplies :: from cabin + cub [local!], uppercase gallery, snow & graham

all of the companies i've mentioned above have their own shops and websites. if you need a hand finding any of them, please let me know, as all of these links are to specific items in the room6 shop. 

room6, 'special things for nice people'. if you're on the lower mainland, get thee to deep cove and check it out.

easter baskets

i have a problem with compulsive sewing. case in point: night before easter, 9pm, super tired from a full but fun day. i decide that i simply must sew the children some fabric easter baskets. i made up a simple box-style pattern [certainly not rocket-science], and they came together quite quickly. this is how they turned out.

i was inspired by the lovely bunny basket made by the ever-so-talented liesl of disdressed and oliver + s. i decided not to make them too 'eastery', so that they could be kept out year round for organizing or carrying toys about the house. maybe this will be my new easter tradition, a new basket every year. they were awfully fun to make.

block city

here are the soft blocks, put together from my stack of fabrics from thursday. i finished them friday night. they came together nicely, and i'm quite happy with how they turned out. my fabric stash has leaned towards more girlie prints since d was born last year. i can't help it, pink  + orange are just so fantastic together! anyhow, with that in mind, i had fun picking out these gender neutral fabrics to make blocks for one wee baby who will enter the world an day now. and of course, a couple extra sets for my shop. soon.

i really like making these blocks personalized with the baby's initials, but i think the abc theme is nice, too. i'm all about applique these days, so the blocks don't leave my sewing machine unadorned. what do you think? more pics are on my flickr.